Weight

Weight: Short story by John Edgar WidemanIn this story by John Edgar Wideman, a writer calls his mother and reads her a draft of a story he has written. It opens with the metaphor My mother is a weightlifter, and goes on to admire the way she has shouldered so many burdens throughout her life. She is not impressed. Two days later, she dies. As he reflects on the call he realizes it wasn’t the story that upset her, but his opening words: This is about a man scared he won’t survive his mother’s passing. Themes include motherhood, love, racial inequality, suffering, strength, dependence, grief, fear.

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The Key

The Key: Short story by Isaac Bashevis SingerThe major messages of this story by Isaac Bashevis Singer are that there is a lot of kindness in the world for those who open their hearts to it, and to live life to the fullest. An elderly widow who has lived alone for almost twenty years has become a recluse. With no family or friends, she distrusts everyone and lives in poverty despite having a fortune hidden in her house. A broken key that causes her to spend a night on the streets is her “key” to understanding and redemption. Themes include ageing, isolation and loneliness, paranoia, redemption.

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The Final Problem / Empty House

The Final Problem / Empty House: Short stories by Arthur Conan DoyleToday we have two stories by Arthur Conan Doyle dealing with the “death” and “rebirth” of Sherlock Holmes. In The Final Problem, Holmes has his first and last encounter with master criminal and his intellectual equal, Professor James Moriarty. After a pursuit across Europe, the pair are believed to have perished when they tumbled off the Reichenbach Falls during a struggle. In the Adventure of the Empty House, Holmes miraculously returns to bring three remaining members of Moriarty’s criminal network to justice. In capturing the first, he solves an important murder investigation. Themes include justice, pursuit, deception, courage, sacrifice, death.

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The Tiger

The Tiger: Short story by S. RajaratnamIn this moving tale by S. Rajaratnam, a pregnant Malay villager bathing in a river notices a tiger watching her from tall grass near the riverbank. Initially too scared to move, she is surprised as the tiger takes less and less interest in her. Eventually able to swim away, she immediately tells fellow villagers about the encounter. She feels uneasy when a party of men set out to shoot the apparently harmless animal, and is horrified by what they find after killing it. Themes include: fear, connection, compassion, bloodlust, motherhood, conservation (co-existence with vs. destruction/exploitation of nature).

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She

She: Short story by Jason BrownThis story by Jason Brown contrasts the platonic first love a junior high schooler feels for the boy she has been going with since sixth grade to intense feelings she develops for a classmate with a “bad boy” reputation. Initially, the new relationship appears perfect as he treats her with respect and they discuss dreams and plans for the future. However, things take a potentially tragic turn when, confused and ashamed, she calls it off after experiencing a moment of sexual arousal during a petting session in the backseat of a car. Themes: love, sexuality, desire, passion, guilt, shame, retribution.

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The Well

The Well: Short story by Mariana EnríquezIn this story by Mariana Enríquez, a six-year-old girl changes dramatically after a family visit to a supposed witch. She develops a series of severe phobias that make it impossible to leave her house and live a normal childhood. In her teens, her older sister tells her that the witch’s visit cured her mother, grandmother and herself of similar fears. Seeking help, they revisit the witch and learn that her family had had the witch cast an irreversible spell transferring the “old evils” inhabiting themselves to the girl. Themes include irrational terror, demonic possession, betrayal, despair, the supernatural.

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My Oedipus Complex

My Oedipus Complex: Short story by Frank O'ConnorThe term Oedipus Complex has its roots in psychology and Greek Mythology. In this coming of age story by Frank O’Connor, a five-year-old boy’s ordered life and close attachment to his mother are disrupted, firstly by his father’s return from World War 1, and later by the birth of a baby brother. During the war, the boy’s father is a mysterious, occasional visitor to be prayed for. On his return, his father becomes a fierce rival for his mother’s attentions and later, a fellow victim of the newborn’s demands. Themes include childhood innocence and imagination, mother/father-son relationships, jealousy, anger, understanding.

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Skin

Skin: Short story by Roald DahlThe most frequently used adjective in describing this story by Roald Dahl is macabre. A former tattooist, who once had a struggling artist friend tattoo a picture of his wife on his back, has fallen on hard times. Destitute and too old to work, he comes across an exclusive gallery featuring an exhibition of his now famous friend’s work. He learns that his tattoo is now worth a small fortune, and is tempted by two offers to capitalize on its value. Themes include artistic struggle and appreciation, poverty, desperation, objectification, greed, temptation, deception.

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